The Head of the Gap is the high point of the Gap of Dunloe, where the road tops out between the MacGillycuddy Reeks and Purple Mountain and the whole glacier-carved valley finally opens up below you. Parking and access are free; there are no shops or toilets up here, only the road, the sheep and the view.
From the free car park at Kate Kearney's Cottage it is about a 6 km walk along the paved single-lane road to the Head of the Gap, the highest point on the route. The climb steepens near the top, so allow roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way, and retrace your steps to return.
At about 240 m the entire valley opens out for the first time, revealing the zig-zagging road, jagged glacier-carved walls and Auger Lake below. If you are driving there is only a tiny roadside pullout at the top, enough for a few cars and a quick photo stop.
Pony-and-trap rides run through the gap and can be hired either at Kate Kearney's Cottage or at the Head of the Gap itself. They take four people and usually cost around €140 per car or €35 per person.
Cyclists often ride up to the Head of the Gap from Lord Brandon's Cottage as part of a bike-and-boat tour that crosses the lakes first. The climb is a steady 5 km from the south and very doable with an e-bike.
The old red sandstone of the gap gives Kerry its best inland climbing. The recorded crags at Céim and Bothán lie on the east side, but most routes are on the north-west side; park at Brennan's Leap or the bridge and follow a path up the west side.
Carry on over the Head and down the far side to Lord Brandon's Cottage, where an open boat crosses the three Lakes of Killarney back to Ross Castle, a classic end to the walk through the gap.
Load the interactive map to explore this place location.
